Gear-operated wrench structure



Nov. 23, 1954 D. a. WiLLmMs Zgdm GEAR-OPERATED WRENCH STRUCTURE4 I Filed OCT.. 13. 1953 I4 l y INVENTOR. i "www a j United States Patent Office ,staat Patented Nov.. 23, 11.954

GEAR-OPERATED WRENCH STRUCTURE Duane B. Williams, Boise, Idaho Application October 13, 1953, Serial No. 385,761 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-57) This invention relates to an improved gear operated wrench structure and the primary object of the invention is to provide a more compact, efficient, and more versatile structure of this kind, which is more capable 4of reaching into and being operated in conned and otherwise hard to reach places, and which is designed to be operated like a reducing gear or a step up gear by merely re'- versing the connections to the structure of the driving v and working elements.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration, rather than limitation, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a central longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 isa horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an end elevation of the removable socket at the left hand side of Figure 1, the driver being removed;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure l showing the structure in reversed position and serving as a reducing gear for applying greater power to the working element.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, and first to Figures l to 8, the illustrated device comprises a gear case having a squared end 12 and a semi-circular end 13, and a semi-circular preferably integral right angular flat arm 14 on the squaredend 12. A removable cover 15 of substantially the same horizontal cross section as the base arm 11 and having section and a curved longitudinal cross section, has its lower end 16 engaged around the semi-circular end and the sides of the base arm 11 and removably secured thereto by means of screws 17, and the upper edge 18 is secured to the upper end 19 of the base arm 14 by means of screws 20.

A journal hole 21 is provided centrally in the base arm 11 and a bearing annulus 22 surrounds the hole 21 at the inner side of the arm 11. A bevelled gear 23 has an outer side 24 bearing upon the annulus 22 and a stub shaft or shank 25 journaled in the hole 21 having an outer end 26 Hush with the outer side of the base arm 11. The stub shaft 25 is provided with a square socket 27 provided in one side thereof with a hemispherical detent receiving depression 28.

A wrench head 29 has a square hole 30 in its 'inner end provided with a hemispherical detent receiving depression 31, and a larger diameter hexagonal nut receiving involving an L-shaped base 11 a a semi-circular transverse cross s socket 32 in its outer end. A double ended elongated square connecting lug 32 has end portions at opposlte sides of a fixed collar 33' removably engaging in the hole 30 in the wrench head 29 and in the stub shaft socket 27 and is provided with spring pressed ball detents 34 md 35 engaging the depressions 31 and 28, respective y.

The right angular base arm 14 has a journal hole 36 therein, extending at right angles to the journal hole 21 in the arm 11, and a bearing annulus 37 surrounds the hole 36 at the inward side of the arm 14. A bevelled pinion 38, smaller in diameter than the bevelled gear 23 is in mesh with the gear 23 and bears against the annulus 37. The pinion 38 has a shank or stub shaft 39 journaled in the hole 36 and has an outer end 40 ush with the outer' side of the base arm 14. The stub shaft 39 has therein a square socket 41 provided in a wall thereof with a detent receiving depression 42.

A driver 43 includes a shaft 44, a fixed collar 45 and a square connecting lug 46 which is removably engaged in the pinion socket 41 and has a spring pressed ball detent 47 engaged in the depression 42, the collar 45 being abutted against the outer end 40 of the stub shaft 39.

With the foregoing arrangement of the parts, rotation of the driver 43 produces rotation of the wrench head 29 with relatively great power but at a slower speed than the rotation of the driver 43.

Referring to Figure 9 of the drawings, when it is desired to drive the wrench head at a higher speed than the rotation of the driver 43, the double ended connecting lug 33 is removed from the gear socket and the driver lug is removed from the pinion socket, the connecting lug 33 engaged in the pinion socket, and the driver lug engaged in the gear socket, the exchange being effected with ease and speed and without any other operations with or adjustments of the parts.

What is claimed is:

In a wrench, a gear case comprising an L-shaped base having a rst arm and a second arm positioned at right angles to each other, said arms having journal holes therethrough and outer and inner sides, a bearing annulus on the inner side of each arm and surrounding the journal holes thereof, a beveled pinion having a reduced stub shaft iournaled in the journal hole of the first arm with the pinion bearing against the bearing annulus of the first arm, a beveled gear having a reduced stub shaft journaled in the journal hole of the second arm with the beveled gear bearing against the bearing annulus of the second arm, the stub shafts having free terminal ends substantially ush with the outer sides of the arms and having polygonal sockets opening through the terminal ends, the pinion and the gear being in mesh with each other and held in place solely by their meshing engagement with each other and their engagement with the related bearing annulus and the engagement of their stub shafts in the sockets, said stub shafts having annular shoulders intermediate their ends rotatably bearing against the outer sides of the first and second base arms.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 542,317 Shea July 9, 1895 1,199,823 Sadtler Oct. 3, 1916 1,420,635 Klopper June 27, 1922 1,659,838 Schoeb Feb. 21, 1928 1,875,529 Vandervoort Sept. 6, 1932 2,620,840 Schafer Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 840,340 France Ian. 16, 1939 

